Laundering of soiled or stained garments using aqueous, surfactant-containing washing solutions has taken place for centuries. Such an operation generally involves contacting the soiled/stained garments to be cleaned with a washing solution to solubilize or otherwise dislodge and remove the soil or stain producing material from the fabric of the garment. The washing step is generally followed by rinsing of washed garments in water to remove the surfactant-containing washing solution. After rinsing one or more times, rinse water is then removed from the garments by one or more types of drying steps.
In modern times, the washing, rinsing and some water removal steps of the laundering procedure have generally been carried out in an automatic washing machine. Washing machines utilize a mechanical agitator to produce agitation of washing and rinsing solutions. Automatic washing machines are also fitted with means for controlling wash and rinse water temperatures and wash and rinse duration. Automatic washing machines can also provide the means for both forming and removing washing and rinsing solutions by using filling and draining apparatus and filling, draining and/or spin cycles.
Soil and stain removal from garments can generally be enhanced by agitating the washing solution as it contacts the garments to be cleaned. Elevated washing temperatures and prolonged contact of garments with the washing solution also facilitate stain and soil removal. Agitated, high temperature and prolonged rinsing can also improve the effectiveness of garment laundering.
Unfortunately, the very procedures and conditions which enhance the effectiveness of soil and stain removal during conventional laundering of garments can also damage the structural integrity and appearance of certain types of garments being laundered. Garments fashioned from such fabrics as silk, wool, rayon, acetate or ramie tend to wrinkle, shrink, fade or lose color when they are subjected to agitated, high temperature or prolonged washing conditions and then dried. Accordingly, garments made from such fabrics are frequently labeled as "dry clean only" or "hand wash only" and therefore require special procedures for their cleaning. For example, garments with a "dry clean only" requirement are generally cleaned via a dry cleaning operation which employs nonaqueous cleaning solvents and which is generally performed professionally outside the home. This can, of course, be a time consuming, disruptive, and expensive way of cleaning these garments, especially if such garments must be frequently laundered.
Given the foregoing, there is clearly a continuing and ongoing need to develop simple, aqueous laundering procedures for delicate, damagable garments and for such procedures to strike an appropriate balance between effective stain and soil removal and minimized fabric damage, decoloring and wrinkling. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the aqueous, laundering of delicate garments which are generally unsuitable for water washing.
It is the further objective of this invention to provide such a method that effectively cleans such garments but without causing unacceptable wrinkling, shrinkage or color damage.
It is the further objective of this invention to provide such a method which can be carried out in the home using conventional automatic washing machine devices and procedures.
Such objectives can be realized by means of the five step method described herein and claimed hereinafter.